The present invention is directed to a joint adaptable for use in a closure, and a closure employing such a joint. Various types of closures, such as windows and doors, employ an array of cross-pieces to present a support matrix for receiving panels in the closure. Such panels may be wood panels but, more commonly, are glass panels such as the sort encountered in French doors, or the like.
Generally, such closures are bounded by horizontal stiles and vertical muntin bars, copingly fitted together. Within the boundary established by the stiles and muntin bars is a lattice, or matrix, of horizontal copes and vertical sticks. Each of the copes and sticks is similarly constructed having a decorative curved cap portion and, depending substantially perpendicularly from the cap portion, a base portion; the base portion is integrally formed with the cap portion.
The cap portions of the copes are copingly fitted to the ca portions of the sticks to present a nicely fitting decorative exterior joint at each intersection of a cope and a stick. The base portions may be joined by a butt joint, a mortise and tenon joint, a groove and tenon joint, or other commonly known joint structures.
The undersides of the respective cap portions of the copes and sticks are generally planar and present a support matrix for nestingly receiving glass panes or other panels which comprise the remainder of the closure. A glazing compound or other suitable fluid-resistant material is generally applied to the support matrix at the undersides of the respective cap portions in order to weather-seal the inside of the closure from the outside of the closure.
The coped fitting of the respective copes and sticks establishes a joint footprint having an expanse at the intersection between the respective copes and sticks. In order that the exterior appearance of the various joints between copes and sticks may be attractive, no glazing compound or other fluid-resistant material is generally applied in the areas of the joint footprints. Application of such fluid-resistant materials to a joint footprint in amounts appropriate to seal the joint against fluid incursion would likely result in a squeezing of the fluid-resistant material from between the cope and stick during assembly of the closure. Since such fluid-resistant material is generally messy, difficult to clean up, and resists stain, paint, or other finishes, the cosmetic appearance of the exterior of the closure would be undesirably affected by the presence of such fluid-resistant material.
Moreover, attempts to apply such fluid-resistant materials to the joint footprints in a production volume operation virtually guarantees a reduction of yield of acceptable-appearing closures. This is especially so when a closure may involve 10, 20, or more such joint footprints, and only one messy footprint would suffice to cause rejection of a closure.
Accordingly, there is an inherent leak path established from the exterior to the interior of the closure across the joint footprint area. So far as Applicant is aware, this established, inherent leak path across the joint footprint established between each of the cope and stick members, as well as across a similar joint footprint established between the aforementioned rail and muntin bar members, has been a problem in the closure art for approximately one hundred thirty-five years and has precluded the employment of such paned closures as employ such joint structures in areas where they would be subjected to weather.
The present invention is a joint adaptable for use in a closure, and a closure employing such a joint, which facilitates the application of fluid-resistant material appropriately to block incursion of fluids, such as rain water, across the joint footprint to the interior of the closure. Accordingly, for the first time known to Applicant, paned closures, such as French doors or similarly constructed windows, can be used in exterior applications without the massive leakage which has previously attended exterior employment of such paned closures.